Child Abandonment Laws

No matter what people think, child abandonment is a major issue that must be resolved. Not only is this an emotional problem it is an ongoing and growing lawful problem in almost every state of the world. Sometimes when two individuals rush into a marriage, they often do not consider the impact having children can have not just on their relationship but also on how they feel about the responsibility itself.

When certain individuals feel the stress and responsibility of parenting, they often abandon the child. When an individual, especially a young one, sees a lot of opportunity for oneself, the idea of a child can create fear. In such cases, they find it better to live their own life and abandon the child who is financially and emotionally dependent on them.

Child abandonment means when a parent leaves a child without the intention to return or to keep themselves updated with the whereabouts of the child. This particular kind of an act committed by a parent is considered to be the worst kind and also an unforgivable offense. This is because it completely destroys the child and often leads them helpless till they are old enough to take care of themselves.

The only way a child abandonment case can be discovered is when he has been left alone or is discovered striving on its own for a long period of time. This is often learnt of when the child is observed to behave and respond to certain things in an unlikely or an abnormal manner. They are often aggressive or even strangely. Worst of all is when they act out only to gain attention.

How Should A Case Of Child Abandonment Be Handled

It is important for the authorities to immediately step in if a child has been abandoned. This is to ensure its complete safety despite the parents being absent. The very first thing that can be done is to contact social services so that the immediate needs of the child are taken care of without delay. The next step is to contact the parents and see if the abandonment was a choice made or if it was brought about due to unlikely circumstances.

Sometimes, there are certain members of the child’s family that willingly take the responsibility of caring for the child despite being abandoned by the parents. If this is not the case the child is to be placed under the care of a foster home to ensure he is cared for until more permanent measures can be taken.

How Should A Child Abandonment Case Be Handled?

The care the child is given after an abandonment case is immediate custodial assistance and supervision. Social services immediately intervene once they find out about the abandoned child and involve the local authorities to ensure normal circumstances are immediately established for the emotional and social growth of the child. The only one this can be done is by looking out for peculiar behavior from a child such as an offence, mourning, emotional distress or even when a marriage is broken off.

Hence, if a parent ever feels like they are under a lot of stress and fear, it is important that they immediately go through some sort of a counselling to ensure their intention is not to leave the child alone.

Hilly Smithson is the author of this article. She refers to this website to offer help to troubled individuals when it comes to cases that involve child abandonment.